Knitting machine



(No Model.) 4 ShveetsSheet 1.

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KNITTING MACHINE.

No..588, 398. Patented Aug. 17. 1897.

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Attorney.

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KNITTING MACHINE. No, 588,398. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

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Attorney.

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1 (No Model.) 4 SheetsShe et 4.

S. S. 000K.

KNITTING MACHINE.

- No. 588,398. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

- Inventor. 3% QM Witnesses.

Attorney.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN S. COOK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRANSON MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

KNITTING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,398, dated August 17, 1897.

Application filed March 11,

companying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of knittingmachines in which mechanism is employed for throwing needles into and out of action during the knitting of fashioned work-as, for example, the heel and toe parts of stockings.

The improvements are especially, though not exclusively, applicable to a machine emdevices in its normal or raised position.

bodying needle-picking devices of the character set out in Letters Patentof the United States No. 519,170, dated May 1, 1894, to which reference may be had, my object being mainly to provide a simple and efficient construction and organization of mechanism whereby the positions or adjustments of the picking devices to perform the functions periodically of needle-raising and needle-depressing cams may be automatically controlled, as will be hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a machine embodying my invention, the needle-cylinder being omitted. Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 2 is-a detail of one of the needle-controlling devices and the latchlever therefor. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in section. Fig. at is a development of the cam-cylinder,showing the knitting-cams and the picker devices, the latter being represented as in the down position.

Fig. 5 is a similar development of a portion of the cam-cylinder, showing one of the picker Fig. 6 is a partial vertical section through the needle and cam cylinders, showing the picker device as engaging a needle.

1 designates the bed of the machine, and 2 the cam-cylinder thereon, the flanged base of which is provided with bevel gear-teeth,'with which coact the teeth of abevel-wheel 3 on a horizontal driying-shaft 4, whereby continu- 1896. Serial No. 532,705. (No model.)

ous rotary or rotary reciprocating movement may be imparted to the cam-cylinder, as desired.

In the cam-cylinder are supported the knitting-cams, comprising the upper and lower central cams 5 6, respectively, the lateral stitch-cams 7, and the raising end cams 8. Arranged above the outer ends of the stitchcams are needle-controlling devices, which are brought into operation alternately during the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder in the knitting of fashioned work. These devices each comprise a notched earn 9, formed on or secured to the inner end of a swinging springcontrolled arm 10,.that is pivotally connected with a rotatable head 11, fitted to an opening in the wall of the cam-cylinder, whereby when the head is adjusted to set the notched nose of the cam 9 in proximity to the leading end of the stitch-cam such nose will raise out of action the first needle it may encounter, and whereby when the head is adjusted so as to set the nose of the cam in the path of the heels of the raised needles such nose will depress into action the first needle it may engage. In either action the cam 9 is swung or moved laterally into the opening in the camcylinder to effect the release of the engaged needle. 1 r

On the outer portion ofthe head 11 is a flange 12, between which and a bracket 13 on the wall of the cylinder is interposed a torsional spring 14,one end of which is secured to the flange and the other end to the bracket, so as to maintain the cam normally in the raised or needle-depressing position, yet permit the head to be turned to set the cam in the lower or needle-raising position. On ,the flange is a shoulder 15, which coacts with a suitably disposed stop 16 .on the bracket to determine the upward position of the cam. The flange is also provided with a shoulder 17, which is engaged by a shoulder 18 on a spring-actuated latch-arm 19 when the head is turned to set the cam in the needle-raising position, the latch-arm thus engaging the shoulder 17 and maintaining the head in place against the action of the torsional spring.

The latch-arm is pivoted at one end to a bracket 20 on the exterior of the cam-cylinder, a spring 21, secured to a stud on said bracket and extended under the arm, maintaining the arm yieldingly raised. The free ends of the respective latch-arms overlap each other forwardly of the yarn-guide post, such ends being preferably beveled, as at 22, so as to facilitate the action thereon of certain tripping devices hereinafter described.

During the knitting of tubular work-as, for example, the leg or foot of a stocking the heads 11 are in their normal position, so as to maintain the cams 9 above the plane of the needle-heels. Preparatory to the knitting of the heel or the toe of the stocking one-half of the series of needles is lifted bodily out of action in any proper manner and the heads are turned by hand, so as to set the cams in the down or needle-raising position, (see Fig. 4,) the shoulders on the flanges thus being engaged by the respective latcharms, so as to lock the heads in place. This done the cam-cylinder is reclprocated, the cams 9 thus engaging and lifting out of action the needles at the ends of the successive courses alternately until the desired narrowing has been effected. The latch-arms are then depressed to release the heads, whereupon the latter are turned to their original position by the recoil of the springs, the cams 9 thus being in the path of the heads of the uplifted end needles. Continuing the reciproeations, the cams engage such needles and depress them in in verse order to the narrowing, thereby effecting the widening of the web correspondingly with the narrowing. This completes the toe or heel. The half-series of needles is then depressed into action and plain tubular knitting is practiced to form the leg or foot.

On the driving-shaft are the fast and loose pulleys 23 24, respectively, upon which is adapted to run the usual driving-belt, suitable shipping means, if desired, being provided for facilitating the transference of the belt from one pulley to the other. On the outer end of this shaft is affixed an appropriate crank-handle 25, whereby the shaft may be manually operated.

Mounted in hearings in hangers 26, depending from the bed-plate, is a horizontal shaft 27, on which is loosely mounted a pulley 28, that is driven continuously in one direction from a suitable source of power. On this shaft adjacent to the pulley is splined a clutch member 29, which, preparatory to reciprocal knitting, is engaged with a coacting member on the hub of the pulley, so as to lock the pulley to the shaft. The clutch member is connected with one end of a forwardly-extending rock-shaft 31, having its bearings in hangers 32, the forward end of the shaft being provided with a suitable handle 99, by means of which it may be readily turned to engage the clutch member with the pulley 28. On one end of the shaft 27 is apinion 33, which gears with an adjacent spur-wheel 34, the stud of which latter is supported by one of the hangers 26. On the forward portion of this hanger is a stud 35, upon which is mounted a toothed sector 36, that coacts with a pinion 37, loosely mounted on the main driving-shaft. This sector constitutes one arm of a lever, the other arm thereof being connected with the spur-wheel 34 by means of a pitman 38, to the end that when the spur-wheel is driven through the medium of the pinion the sector will be oscillated and the pinion 37, perforce, be reciprocated, which pinion if it be affixed to the shaft will correspondingly actuate the latter to effect the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder. Pivoted to an outward extension of the stud 35 is a hand-lever 38", which embraces a clutch member 39 on the pinion 37, to the end that by manually operating the lever such member may be readily moved into engagement with a shoulder or clutch member on the side of the crank-handle and thus affix the pinion to the shaft for the purpose stated.

The clutch member on the shaft 27 is provided with a circumferential groove 35), with which engages the crank-shaped lower end of a vertical rock-shaft 40, that is supported in a bracket 41, depending from the bed-plate, to the end that if said shaft be properly turned the clutch member will be disengaged from the pulley 28. On the upper end of this shaft is a toe 42, that extends in proximity to an intermittently-rotatable disk 43, which is loosely mounted on a stud 44, rising from the bed-plate. This disk constitutes a pattern -wheel. On it are two suitablydisposed peripheral studs 46, one, 45, of which is adapted at a certain time to abut against the toe and effect the disengagement of the clutch member from the pulleys 28, while the other stud, 46, is adapted at another time to actuate a trip-lever 47, hereinafter described.

Formed on or secured to the disk is a ratchetwheel 49, with the teeth of which normally engages a spring-actuated pawl on a radial arm 51, which is mounted on the stud 44, to the end that when said arm is oscillated the ratchet-wheel and, perforce, the disk 43 will be advanced step by step in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

The arm 51 is held yieldingly retracted by means of a spring 52, one end of which is socured to the arm and the other end to the lever 47, above mentioned. On the outer end of this arm is a depending lug 52, to which is fitted a set-screw 53, the head of which lies in the path of the upper end of the sector 36 and may be nicely adj usted in respect thereto. Hence as this sector is oscillated, as hereinbefore described, it will abut against the screwhead and effect the operation of the pawl-arm. On the upper end of the stud 44 is a stop 54, with which coaets a pin 55 on the pawl-arm, so as to limit the stroke thereof, and thus prevent its being unduly projected by the impact of the sector. The arm is provided at its outer end with an appropriate knob 56,

whereby it may be manually operated to set the disk in proper position relatively to the toe 42 and lever 47. This lever is fulcrumed on a stud rising from the bed-plate rearward of the cam-cylinder. One arm of the lever is provided with an angular extension 57, which is held normally outward from the cylinder by the action of the spring 52, the other arm of the lever lying adjacent to the periphery of the disk. ,When, however, this latter arm is engaged by the peripheral "stud 46 on said disk, such arm is moved outward and the other arm, with its extension,is moved inward,

the extension thereupon extending in the path of the beveled ends of the latch-arms 19, before described. Consequently such ends in the stroke of the cylinder, impingingagainstf spective ends of said cams, independentlymovable needle-controlling cams on said supports, means to maintain said supports normally in one position, means to lock them temporarily in another position, and automatic trip mechanism for said locking means, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder and its knitting-cams, of rotatable supports at or adjacent to the respective ends of said cams, independentlymovable needle-controlling cams on said supports, springs to maintain said supports normally in one position, means to lock them temporarily in another position in opposition to the springs, and automatic trip mechanism forsaid locking means, substantially as described.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder and its knitting-cams, of rotatable supports at or adjacent to the respective ends of said cams, independentlymovable needle-controlling cams on said supports, springs to maintain said supports normally in oneposition, latch-arms, and provisions whereby said arms lock the supports in opposition to the springs, and automatic trip mechanism for said latch-arms, substantially as described.

tently-rotatable disk, means for operating the same, and means actuated by said disk to trip the locking means, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder and its knitting-cams, of rotatable supports at or adjacent to the respective ends of said cams, independentlymovable needle-controlling cams on said supports, means to maintain said supports normally in one position, latch-arms constructed to lock them temporarily in another position, and a trip-lever to engage said arms and efiect the release of the supports, substantially as described.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder, its knitting-cams, needle lifting and depressing devices, means to maintain said devices normally in one position, and means to lock them temporarily in another position, of a trip device to release said locking means, a pattern-wheel provided with ratchet-teeth and adapted to actuate said trip device, a pawl-bearing arm coacting with said teeth, and means for actuating said pawl, substantially as described.

7. In-a knitting-machine, the combination, with the cam-cylinder, its knitting-cams, needle lifting and depressing devices, means to maintain said devices normally in one position, and means to lock them temporarily in another position, of mechanism for imparting rotary reciprocating movement to the cylinder, means to throw said mechanism into and out of operation, a pattern-wheel having provisions to effect the inaction of said mechanism, means whereby said pattern-wheel is actuated by the said mechanism, and means actuated by said wheel to trip the locking means for the lifting and depressing devices, substantially as described.

8. In a knitting-machine, the combination, of the cam-cylinder, its knitting-cams, the driving-shaft geared with said cylinder, a second shaft, a driving-wheel loosely mounted thereon, mechanism intermediate said shafts for imparting rotary reciprocating movement to the first-named shaft, means for fixing said pulley to, and releasing it from, its shaft, a pattern-wheel, having provision to operate said last-named means, and means whereby said pattern-wheel is actuated by said mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, 

